https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-493-The-Grand-Feast-of-All-Races/12936876/
Chapter 494: The Difference Between Having a Bite and Having a Bite
Chapter 494: The Difference Between Having a Bite and Having a Bite
A few days later, on the northern outskirts of Storm City, beyond the vast courtyard, was an enormous farmland where a white-haired youth was seen tilling the soil with a golden hoe.
The sun shone down upon him, illuminating the golden tool in his hands, just as Norton Sag had said—even when farming, he insisted on using a golden hoe!
And so, he truly used the golden hoe to till the land.
His palace was not originally located in the center of Storm City. During the reconstruction, they decided to tear down the excess structures, and the palace was connected to the northern outskirts of the city, with the courtyard leading directly to the wilderness.
Later, Sag looked at this vacant area and decided to use it for farming. It was unlikely to be developed, so he took the initiative to cultivate it himself.
The seeds were all specialty crops sent from various islands, and each plot of land was dedicated to a specific variety.
Of course, he wasn't farming alone; there were servants helping him manage the fields. Only when he felt frustrated and bored would he choose to till the land and plant.
For instance...
"Damn it! Not a single bite! I was told there'd be a bite!"
Sag angrily dug up a patch of land with his hoe, his face filled with indignation.
How long had it been?
Not a few days, but two years!
Adding the time since he started fishing in the East Sea, it had been nearly two and a half years!
Despite being a pirate for two and a half years and even becoming one of the Four Emperors, he hadn't caught a single fish!
He had practically searched every inch of Ohara, from the main island to the sub-islands, even small ponds and puddles. He had done everything short of getting drunk and urinating in the water to catch tadpoles.
What was even more infuriating was that wherever he went, locals would often come to 'pay their respects,' and as soon as he left, they would catch fish.
Even when he intentionally left to use speed to force a catch, the result remained the same. It was as if the fish were governed by Schrodinger's principle—as long as he held onto any shred of hope, there would never be a fish on his hook.
Only when he truly gave up on fishing there would the fish bite someone else's hook.
"Damn it, I don't believe it!"
Sag dug fiercely with his hoe, then stood it upright in the soil and exhaled sharply, defiantly saying, "I'll get more bait later, and there will definitely be a bite!"
"Sag, what do you mean by a bite?"
Lily's figure appeared from within the courtyard, accompanied by Carla.
"A bite," Sag replied without turning around, gazing up at the sky and saying, "It's like fishing; you have to see if there are any. If not, it's all for nothing."
"?"
Lily tilted her head, a question mark appearing above her head.
Wasn't he just talking about fishing?
"Sag, the expenses for the three-day banquet across the entire territory totaled 424,567,400,000 Beli. What do we do about this money?" Lily asked.
Sag had hosted a three-day banquet across his entire territory to celebrate his victory and entertain the Big Mom Pirates.
Work had stopped, and the festivities continued through the night, creating a lively atmosphere, but the cost was substantial.
The bill amounted to several hundred million Beli.
Carla, who was in charge of calculating the expenses, couldn't help but shiver at the sight of the total. However, she soon felt relieved, knowing that the territory belonged to Sag. What money did he need to pay?
Even if he wanted to pay, it would be an impossible task. Sag had money, but such a large amount would likely require him to sell everything he owned. Carla had initially planned to casually mention the expenses to Sag, assuming he wouldn't pay anyway. She considered it a routine matter to be dealt with. However, Lily had a different opinion, so she brought the bill and came to ask in person.
"What do you mean, 'what do we do?' Of course, we pay the money," Sag replied matter-of-factly.
"Pay the money?" Carla asked, clearly taken aback by the answer. "What money are we paying?"
"When you hold a banquet, you have to pay; it's the natural order of things. How can we not pay? I remember saying it myself: all expenses will be covered by me, Sag. I announced this to the entire nation. How can I not pay now?"
"You want to hit me?"
Sager turned to look at Carla and waved her over. Lily naturally went to the resting platform in the field, picked up a cigar, and handed it to him.
Sager took the cigar and bit down on it, extending his index finger upwards. A small flame ignited on his fingertip, lighting the cigar, and he exhaled a puff of smoke.
"Four hundred million, just pay it," Sager said.
"Boss, I remember your assets aren't that much," Carla said, pushing her glasses. "Are you planning to borrow? Also, I don't quite understand why we need to pay this money."
"Why use my money? Use the money from the Gold Bank to cover it and reimburse everyone who provides food and services across the country."
Sager laughed, "I may not have the money, but the Gold Bank's money is as good as mine."
Not only was Carla confused, but even Lily was a little perplexed by this statement.
It wasn't that they couldn't understand the words; Sager had always managed his finances this way when it came to infrastructure development. It was this particular action that was hard to comprehend at the moment.
Everyone knew that the Gold Bank's money belonged to the people, but it also belonged to Sager. Similarly, all the produce from his territory was his as well. Using his own money to pay the people under his rule to reimburse for his own supplies seemed redundant.
It was like taking off your pants to fart.
"Don't you understand this?" Sager chuckled. "It may seem like I'm using my money to buy my own things, but the input and output are different."
"If it's free, they will naturally accept it, after all, I own this land, and only I have the right to rule. But in this process, no value is created. They supply for free, and I accept for free. It seems like I'm enjoying the benefits, but in reality, nothing is gained."
"The people below work hard to provide for free, the buyers spend their capital, but gain nothing. You in the middle layer execute the orders, but if it's truly free, you will surely suffer because I won't be pleased."
"The top layer, me, will be displeased because of this free service!"
Sager explained, "Money is useless if it doesn't circulate. Even if the Gold Bank's money can be used freely, it should still be put to use. That money belongs to the people. When you give it back to them, in their eyes, their savings remain untouched, but this money they earn is through hard work and trade."
"With rewards, there will be consumption, and production will continue. The produced goods will find buyers, and this cycle will lead to greater prosperity. I can also collect more taxes."
Sager grinned, "Such a good thing, why give it away for free? I'm not robbing anyone."
When it came to his own territory, he wanted to find ways to boost its prosperity. As for the outside world, robbery was a more convenient option.
"Hmm," Lily nodded thoughtfully. "You make sense, Sager, but the Gold Bank is running low on funds."
"What?" Sager raised an eyebrow. "How can it be low? Isn't there a lot of money?"
"Yes, there's about three billion belli in deposits, but you've used most of it for infrastructure. It will take time for this money to circulate back. There's also a portion of it that's reserved for emergencies, which cannot be touched."
"If we spend another four hundred million in one go, our overall operations will face issues. We're truly out of funds at the moment," Lily explained.
They weren't money printers; on the vast seas, there was only one universal currency, and paper money couldn't even devalue. The amount remained fixed, magically becoming hard currency.
So, if Sager wanted to make money, he had to do it through trade or...
"We're out of money," he said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Then, with a smile, he declared, "Then let's go rob some!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
